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WW2 town class destroyers

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dodes:
Received a book the other day called "Town Class Destroyers",  for those not acquainted with them, we were given by the USA fifty very old and infirm WW1 destroyers in 1940 in exchange for the USA to have a base in Bermuda. Any I have a Deans hull and I thought I would have a go at Ripley, but I have uploaded a copy of the proposed plan for some to be converted to 6" gun monitors, I expect the reason it did not happen was these old hulls were so worn and thin, that the recoil would rip the guns out of the hull over side. But it would make an interesting what if model, so I am a bit undecided at the moment.

dodes:
Here are the pictures

dodes:
and the other

ballastanksian:

If you could work enough extra stiffening and plate into the structure without making her top heavy, then it might have been possible. They would have become fast (relatively speaking) equivalents of the Insect class Gunboats, and so useable in similar circumstances.


As the Gunboat idea is interesting, I would be drawn to building that. I would expect extra AA defence to be shipped as well such as 2pounders or Oerlikons.

TailUK:
Ripley seems to be a typical conversion of the American "4 piper" to Royal Navy convoy escort.  She is similar to the most famous of the "lend lease" destroyer HMS Campbeltown.  Campbeltown retained 3 of her 3 inch deck guns and acquired a 12 pounder HA on the rear deck house.  She did a couple of convoys (Pennant No I 42) without radar before being converted for the St Nazaire raid.  I'm not sure of the reasoning behind shortening the funnels.  Campbeltown's No 4 funnel was reduced in height.

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